Gloria Estefan and husband Emilio threaten to sue Diddy accuser for claiming the couple was involved in the rapper’s alleged “freak off” party

Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio Estefan have announced that they are considering legal action after being named in a lawsuit connected to Sean “Diddy” Combs. The suit, which has since been dismissed, accused the couple of being linked to one of the rapper’s alleged “freak off” parties on Miami’s Star Island.

The Estefans made their comments on Saturday, August 23, 2025, in New York City, where they spoke with TMZ about their potential lawsuit.

"They’re going to have some explaining to do,"lGloria, 67, said of the accuser.

She added that she was never concerned about the claims and dismissed them as “fantasy,” as reported by TMZ, on August 23, 2025.

More about the allegations by Diddy accuser

According to US Weekly, the allegations come from a lawsuit filed in April 2025 by Manzaro Joseph. In the filing, Joseph claimed that he was transported through a tunnel beneath the Estefans’ Miami home to Diddy’s property during a 2015 party. The party was reportedly held for Diddy’s son, Christian Combs.

Joseph alleged that once at the event, he was sexually assaulted and subjected to “degrading and non-consensual acts.” According to the court documents, obtained by USA Today, the lawsuit read:

"Diddy orchestrated and facilitated the abuse, coercion and intimidation of (Manzaro), using his influence, wealth and power to silence and control (Manzaro) and engaged in acts of violence, s*xual coercion and psychological manipulation, knowingly causing severe harm while ensuring (Manzaro) remained unable to seek justice."

The lawsuit initially named Emilio Estefan as a defendant, with Joseph alleging he was moved through a back gate on the Estefans’ property. Joseph further claimed that Gloria Estefan saw him in distress and suggested calling an ambulance. However, Emilio allegedly intervened to move her away, as reported by US Weekly on August 23, 2025.

On July 24, 2025, a court dismissed all allegations against Emilio but gave Joseph additional time to amend his complaint.

Emilio Estefan Responds

Emilio Estefan, 72, strongly rejected the claims linking him to Diddy’s alleged “freak off” party, pointing to what he said were clear inconsistencies in Joseph’s story. One detail he highlighted was Joseph’s claim that Jay-Z and Beyoncé were present at the alleged party.

Both artists were removed from the lawsuit in April 2025 after their attorneys provided documentation showing they were not in Miami at the time, as reported by E! Online.

Emilio Estefan and Gloria Estefan attend Gloria Estefan's "Raíces" Album Release Party on May 28, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Image via Getty)

Emilio further stated that he and Gloria were not in Miami on the date of the alleged incident, saying they were in New York. He also questioned the plausibility of Manzaro Joseph’s account, saying that constructing a tunnel on Star Island would be impossible due to water running beneath the neighborhood.

On August 25, 2025, Emilio spoke to TMZ, saying:

"We’re going to have to [file] a lawsuit against them because we work hard to develop a reputation for many years. We have a family, and it hurts the kids sometimes, what they hear."

He added that he hoped people would recognize the damage caused by unsubstantiated accusations:

"It really hurts a lot of people. All of the fans, everything, [were] all very concerned"

Gloria Estefan’s Court Statement

The New York Daily News reported that Gloria Estefan had submitted a written statement to the court in support of her husband on August 5, 2025. In it, she denied that Emilio had played any role in the alleged events.

Gloria explained that from 2012 to 2019, a family member and his toddler were living at the home and that no strangers could have passed through the property unnoticed “after midnight in early April 2015.”

She also said that, during the time the Estefans owned the property, no tunnel ever existed between their home and Diddy’s.

"At no time was there ever any ‘tunnel’ between the two houses, at least not while we owned [that home], and based on many years of experience with the City of Miami Beach, I believe this fact could have been easily verified through the public records of the City of Miami Beach."

Gloria also clarified her relationship with Diddy, emphasizing that there was no connection or opportunity for the alleged events to occur at her or Emilio’s property. She confirmed that Diddy only set foot there after he became the rightful owner of the house in 2021.

Diddy’s Legal Situation

The accusations against the Estefans are part of wider legal battles facing Combs. In a statement to US Weekly, Diddy’s lawyer dismissed Joseph’s complaint, claiming it was an attempt to gain headlines, saying:

"This complaint demonstrates the depraved lengths plaintiffs will travel to garner headlines in pursuit of a payday. No sane person reading this complaint could credit this story."

The lawyer added that Combs looked forward to disproving the allegations in court.

Joseph’s lawsuit is separate from Combs’ federal criminal trial in New York. In July 2025, Sean Diddy Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges but was convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, according to a report by US Weekly on August 23, 2025.

According to TMZ, more than 100 individuals have come forward with allegations against Combs through various civil lawsuits. Combs has consistently denied the accusations and is currently awaiting sentencing.

About the author

Devangee Halder is a Food and Pop culture writer at Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in International Studies. A bibliophile and foodie, her academic background, with the intersection of history and cultural studies, has deepened her love for reading and writing.

With over a year of experience, including an internship at Indian Express, which she landed through correspondence with editor Raj Kumar Jha, she transitioned into her current role at this company. As a journalist covering gastronomic trends and other news from the F&B Industry, she veers away from prescriptivism, and instead prioritizes questioning of current narratives, and forwarding relevant news, ensuring they are devoid of sensationalism.

Devangee approaches food with an interdisciplinary lens, locating it vis-à-vis areas such as culture, history, memory, and economics, within which culinary traditions found fruition and subsequently flourished. When not working, she enjoys cooking and reading, alongside her newfound interest in weightlifting. Among her favorite personalities are Sarah Todd and Vikas Khanna, and she admires the late chef Jock Zonfrillo for his work on indigenous food habits and ingredients.

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Edited by Sriparna Barui